Creating Systems Change: Pathways to Internships, Apprenticeships, and Employment

As the cost of college continues to shape how students think about life after high school, more are considering pathways beyond the traditional four-year college experience.

During a recent Chronicle of Higher Education virtual forum , college and state leaders explored how community colleges and other institutions can build apprenticeships, internships, and stackable credentials that lead to degrees and stronger career opportunities. As these pathways expand into fields like health care, the conversation also examined what it takes to build programs that work across institutions, employers, and communities.

For Reach University, that question is central to its work. “Reach is the first institution that's dedicated entirely to turning jobs into degrees instead of the other way around,” President Joe E. Ross told the forum. Through the Apprenticeship Degree , Reach partners with employers to give working adults a pathway to earn a degree while continuing to work, connecting on-the-job learning with college coursework, assessment, and mentorship. As Ross explained, “It makes life and work and learning work together.” The forum gave Reach an opportunity to share what it has learned while hearing from other institutions working to make education and career pathways more accessible.